Then another realization hit.
“Northline.”
I said nothing.
“Vale Meridian owns Northline.”
Dad corrected him.
“Vale Meridian is the majority investor.”
Adrian’s panic arrived instantly.
“Sir, whatever you’ve heard—”
Dad’s expression changed.
“Stop.”
Adrian froze.
“My daughter has told me almost nothing about your work.”
“Independent counsel is handling the Northline review.”
“I have recused myself.”
Adrian stared.
“What review?”
That was interesting.
He knew enough to panic before knowing what Dad meant.
I noticed.
So did Gideon.
Adrian turned toward me.
“Claire, what did you do?”
I laughed.
Softly.
“I gave birth.”
“That is what I did.”
“You apparently did plenty while I was busy.”
His face hardened.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
I looked at Leo.
“I’m not doing this beside our son.”
“Claire—”
“I called you Friday night.”
“I know.”
“I told you my water broke.”
“I was coming.”
“You said after dessert.”
“My mother—”
“No.”
I looked at him.
“Do not blame Margaret for the phone call you made.”
“You are forty-one years old.”
“You chose.”
For once, Adrian had no answer.
Then Margaret arrived.
Of course she did.
She swept into the room carrying a designer baby blanket and indignation.
“I cannot believe no one told me you were being discharged—”
She saw Gideon.
Stopped.
Unlike Adrian, Margaret recognized power instantly.
“Mr. Vale.”
Dad nodded.
“Mrs. Cole.”
Her eyes jumped to me.
Then Adrian.
Then Leo.
“What is happening?”
I almost laughed.
Adrian said:
“Gideon Vale is Claire’s father.”
Margaret looked at me as if I had committed fraud.
“You never told us.”
“I never told you my father’s surname.”
“You said he was in investments.”
“He is.”
Dad coughed into his hand to hide a smile.
Margaret’s shock quickly became anger.
“You deliberately hid this.”
“No.”
“I deliberately kept my father separate from my marriage.”
